The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-05
Two Trains Pass On the Same Track.
tChicagO Herald.l

'Talkin' bout peculiar railway accidents"
said an old brakemen with two mashed,
crooked hands and weather-beaten face
'talkin' bout peculiar railway smash-ups,
let me tel you bout one l seen when a
yOungster. II was bout twenty wears ago
an created heaps of excitement at the time
though 1 suppose most folks has forgotten it
by this time. But l hain't. Mighty good
reason why ! shouldn't forget i'll was
there, was, an pretty nigh got done up.
ut was down on the old Erie Road, in
York State. | was track-walker, an one
dark night was out on my section down
near HOrnellsville. 1 had just reached
straight level place tween two curves an
cuts when | looked up an saw the head
light of a train comm toward me. That
was all right, cause the train was expected.
Il was the pay-car, r1nnln back to New
York, an l could see she was a-comin' like
lightenin'. Just then 1 turned an looked in
tother direction, an by the great horn
spoon there,was another headlight, Just COM
in round onto the straight wild ingine
runnin' back to Hornellsyille, an maxim
sixty mile an hour, il she was movin' at ALL
what did do2 Pm a-comin' to that. Ny
first idea was to run, so's to git as far away's
possible when they struck each other. But
hain't no coward. I've allus been noted for
my bravery and my veracity, and it's the
truth I'm tellin' ye when I say that
made up my mind TO prevent that WRECK
# | could do it by riskin' my own life.
Well, sir, l had no sooner thought OF 1t
than | began to act. / seized sleeper that
was lynn long side the track there an placed
il right across the rails. While 1 was doin'
thIs-an' I did it quicker'n 1 kin tell you
about tit seemed that both ingines was on
to me, an them a-screamin' like mad. had
Just barely got the sleeper laid when the wild
engine rushed up an almost hit me as drew
back. Then l shut my eyes an dropped
into the ditch.
Guess must o. lain there ten minutes or
such a matter when one of the railroad men
came and tugged at me an told me to git
up-everything was all right an nobody
hurt.
"'You saved us from an awful wreck, he
said. Git up, old fellow; you're hero
"S-sayed you from a wreck" gasped /;
h-how did happen
"'Why, that tie you put on the track was
Just the stuff, ole Teller, just the stuff. Our
wild ingiDe got to it just before the psy-car
did, and when we struck it we went flying
into the air clean over the top o. the pay-car
and her iDgine. Every wheel took the rails
| on tother side, an we run half a mile fore
we could stop her.
Il rubbed my eyes and stared at him.
"'Oh, you don't believe me- he says; but
look-there stands the ingines and you kin
see for yourself. The wild ingine is between
Hornellsville an the pay-car.'
II looked an saw that it was true. In
/ placin' that tie on the track | had done
better than had any idea on. My intention
was to throw one o. the ingines from the
| track so that only one of 'em would be
wrecked, but / hope never to see railroad
| again in my life If that wild ingine didn't
Jump over pother one an light on her feet
| like cat. l had solved the problem of how
| to make two trains pass each other on the
| same track"